Non-Lucrative Spanish Visa Requirements

Applying for a Non-Lucrative Spanish Visa was my full-time job for several months. I didn't want to write about the application process until we had successfully got our visas (which we did last week!) When we made the decision to move to Spain we wanted to make sure we could get there before September so our kids could start school at the beginning of the year.  This meant we had three months to collect all the documents needed for our visa interview. That seems like a reasonable amount of time until you start reading turnaround times for these government agencies. Plus the requirements provided by the spanish consulate left me with so many questions. I spent a lot of time researching and found these two blogs especially helpful: 

•  Two Bad Tourists - I paid $25 to get their free guide which was worth it. Auston was great about answering questions via email.
• Jed and his blog Bucking The Trend which was really helpful because his experience was through the Chicago consulate and he was applying for his entire family.

We have learned a lot through this process and hope this information helps anyone going through this overwhelming process! It seems like everyone's experience is different so I wanted to share ours.

Keeping track of everything became cumbersome so I eventually created a spreadsheet to help maintain sanity.  Here is a snapshot before we had everything completed:

The official list of requirements is found at the link below:

Non-Lucrative Visa Requirements (Spanish Consulate in Chicago)

*Note: This list is different for each consulate throughout the US

1. National Visa Application Form  

2. Passport and ID  - We had to get new ones for the kids and payed the extra money to have it expedited (turnaround took less than 2 weeks)

3. Passport Photos - Walgreens

4. Letter of Intent - Got a template from Two Bad Tourists which was helpful. This seems to be a new requirement and was one of the first things they read through at the consulate.

5. Proof of Adequate Financial Resources - Davin included more information that was probably necessary but I've read that some other people got drilled by the consulate on this.

6. Proof of Accommodation -  This was a HUGE stress for us in the beginning. We thought we HAD to have a long-term rental contract to apply so we worked obsessively with a property management company in Jávea to lock down an apartment site unseen.  Thankfully images and google earth could give us a good idea of the place.  I later found out that they will accept a short-term let through like air bnb as well.

7. Proof of Health Insurance - We provided letters from our American health insurance companies that SPECIFICALLY pointed outline what would be covered internationally.  We also purchased World Nomad Explorer travel insurance which includes repatriation (the most important piece to the consulate).

8. Authorization Form EX-01 

9. Form 790

10. Criminal Background Check - Read this post for more information. Needs to have Apostille of the Hague certificate.

11. Medical Certificate - Got a template from Two Bad Tourists for this in both english and spanish and simply had our doctors sign the forms after our annual physical. 

12. Self-Addressed Express USPS Envelope - We brought two of these just in case, and they used both.

13. Marriage Certificate/Birth Certificates - Needs to have the Apostille of the Hague certificate

Government documents must have the Apostille of the Hague certification.  This is basically the state verifying that the documents aren't falsified.  Here's what it looks like:

Once you have all required documents, you must them translated. I thought this would be easy and waited until the 11th hour. Then when I went inquire to some online translating companies and was quoted over a thousand dollars! In newfound state of panic, I reached out to anyone who knew native spanish speakers that might be up for it, but then realized the website specifically states it must be done by a 'certified translator'. I wanted to make sure we did this right the first time through. As we were running low on time I somehow came across Rev.  This provided document translation for $27/page (250 word limit per page) and completed translations over night via email!  It was brilliant!

The consulate states that the spouse and children must have all of the same documents as the applicant.  This meant copies, and then copies of those copies to cover the whole family.  Because we wanted SO badly to have a smooth interview we organized a folder for each family member. Inside I labeled each original document (in order listed on the consulate's website) with the official translated version. We also 4 copies of everything.

So how did it go?  Read Chicago Consulate Interview

How did we get our residency cards once we arrived in Spain? Read Residency Cards in Spain